Border fence near Yuma
Contributed Article/Courtesy U.S. Customs and Border Protection
YUMA – On September 1, 2021, a Border Patrol Agent (BPA) assigned to the U.S. Border Patrol Station (USBP) in Yuma, AZ, was flagged down by an undocumented migrant stating a man fell off the International Border Barrier (IBB), which is approximately 30 feet tall. The BPA responded to the area and located a male citizen of Mexico lying on the ground on the west side of the IBB, approximately three miles south of the Andrade Port of Entry in Winterhaven, CA. The BPA immediately requested emergency medical services (EMS). Rural Metro Fire Department (RMFD) medical personnel responded to the location but were unable to get to the man due to a locked USBP gate on County Road 11 ½. A BPA with a key to the gate responded from the Yuma Station and unlocked the gate.
Once the gate was unlocked, Border Patrol Search, Trauma, and Rescue (BORSTAR) agents and a BPA Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) responded to the location on the west side of the IBF and provided medical assistance to the man. Due to the RMFD vehicle not being able to drive through the small USBP gate, BPAs carried the man on a backboard for approximately one mile to a location where RMFD medical personnel were waiting. RMFD personnel took over life-saving measures and then transported the man to a nearby landing zone. Aircare Ambulance arrived and transported the man to the Abrazo West Campus Hospital in Goodyear, where he was admitted.
The man underwent surgery for his injuries sustained from the fall and was placed in a recovery room. Approximately eight hours later, medical personnel declared the man deceased while under hospital watch by Customs and Border Protection.
The Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner and the CBP Office of Professional Responsibility are reviewing this incident. The DHS Office of Inspector General was also notified.
